At 10AM on
Saturday, November 10 the Theatrical Stage Employees Union/Local One
went on strike, shutting down nearly all of Broadway.
The decision to walk off the job came after negotiations stalled
between Theatrical Stage Employees Union/Local One and the League of
American Theatres and Producers.
The
strike effectively closed 27 Broadway theatres and sent theatre-goers
and members of the Broadway community into confusion and frustration. Businesses
throughout the Times Square / Theatre District area are already feeling
the impact of the strike with reduced traffic to bars, restaurants and
other venues.
Most
Broadway shows have been closed for 17 days (and counting)... Members
of the Broadway community hold their breath, awaiting the results of
the negotiations this weekend.
When the well will
run-dry. What happens to the "starving artists"? What about the limited
Broadway engagements that haven't even raised a curtain?
In efforts to provide the most exclusive coverage of the Broadway
stagehands' strike, BroadwayWorld.com's News Desk Editor, Eugene
Lovendusky, has done some digging to present the facts as they stand
now...
What is Local One?
Local One
of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees is the most
powerful Broadway union made up of over 3,000 stagehands, near 500 of
whom work on Broadway.
What is The League of American Theatres and Producers?
The League of American Theatres and Producers
consists of over 600 members including theatre owners and operators,
producers, presenters and general managers in North American cities, as
well as suppliers of goods and services to the commercial theatre
industry.
What is Actors' Equity?
Actors' Equity is the
labor union that represents more than 45,000 actors and stage managers
in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster the
art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Equity
negotiates wages and working conditions and provides a wide range of
benefits, including health and pension plans, for its members. Actors'
Equity has announced solidarity with Local One during the strike.
What is Local 802?
Local 802 of the American
Federation of Musicians is the largest local union of professional
musicians in the world. Local 802 fights for the interests and
well-being of the musicians employed in New York's music and
entertainment industries, through organizing and collective bargaining
as well as through legislative and political action. Local 802 has
announced solidarity with Local One during the strike.
What are Local One and The League fighting about?
The answer is complicated, but it comes down to minimums... How many
stagehands are needed for a days' work? What qualifies as a "days'
work"? And how much is each stagehand to be paid for their work?
Campbell Robertson of The New York Times offers an informative and in-depth explanation of the strike and both sides' issues: Read Here
The League of American Theatres and Producers has provided their own Claim vs. Fact sheet: Details Here.
Actors' Equity has provided their own Myth vs. Fact sheet: Website Here.
Since July, the union and
the League have been in rigorous contract negotiations, which came to a
stand-still in late October when both sides proposed their "final
offers." Local One, which has been operating without a contract since negotiations began, was toldFriday by its parent union, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, to begin the walkout on Saturday.
Broadway producers have proposed loosening
rules on when stagehands are needed for work, how many are needed and what
tasks they are allowed to perform. The union has countered that any alterations made to
the rules that would mean less work for stagehands, and therefore needs to come with exchanges
of equal value. This comes most into play during the expensive process of loading in new shows.
Have Local One and The League returned to the bargaining table?
The
League and Local One last held meetings the weekend of November 17
& 18. Over 13 hours Saturday and over 11 hours Sunday left talks
with no resolution, and Broadway shows were canceled through November
25. It is reported The League and Local One will return to the
drawing-board this weekend (November 25) though no official statement
has been released.
How much longer will the strike last?
There is no confirmed date or official speculation. Stagehands may
return to work as soon as next Monday. However, some publications
estimate the strike may last through December.
What is the Local One emergency strike fund?
President James J. Claffey of Local One says the $5.2-million
emergency strike fund is "a defense fund for everyone in the theatre
community affected by this labor dispute."
From Juan Gonzalez' column in the Daily News, November 21, 2007:
Local One Stage Union Amasses $5M Strike Fund to Fight Bosses, Lawyer
"Broadway
owners and producers… hired the Proskauer Rose law firm and its labor
relations chairman, Bernard Plum, to fashion their strategy. The city's
organized labor movement hates Proskauer Rose. This is the same firm
that advised the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in labor
negotiations that led to the disastrous transit workers strike two
years ago…. Only about 350 of Local One's 2,200 active members are
involved in the work stoppage. That's not a big number, considering the
union's coffers are bulging with cash. This Friday, Local One will
begin paying each striker about $400 a week in strike pay. It is even
offering some money to the ushers and porters idled by the walkout. At
that rate, the union can afford to provide its members weekly checks
well into next year. The theater owners who followed Proskauer Rose's
advice have lost more money than they would have saved if they got what
they wanted. Every day the strike continues, the owners, the workers
and the city lose millions more, and our city loses a big part of what
makes it unique during the holiday season. Only Proskauer Rose and its
$800-an-hour lawyers will make money from here on."
Where and how does the money from the Local One fund get distributed?
As of Wednesday November 14, Local One has agreed to a press black-out with The League and offers "no comment."
Do Actors' Equity and Local 802 have their own emergency strike funds?
Actors' Equity has their own $2.3-million strike fund. Local 802 answer pending.
How are Broadway actors being paid while out of work?
Show captains have been
or will be distributing W-9 forms to all Equity members. Strike benefit checks are being distributed
as Equity actors sign-in on Thursday or their next regularly schedule show time.
Maria Somma, Actors' Equity spokesperson, elaborates: "The benefit
will be $405 per actor regardless if the actor makes well above minimum
or not... If the strike
extends another week, that will be the exact amount that we're giving again."
What happens if the strike funds run out?
"As far as [Actors' Equity] is concerned, if we need to have
another meeting to put additional funds in, then we'll have that meeting at
that time," states Somma.
What are Broadway actors required to do while off work?
As of Wednesday November 14 at 11:40AM, the Actors' Equity
Association Hotline for Local One Negotiation reports that cast members in
shows affected by the Local One strike should continue to report to their
theatres no later than half-hour and sign-in with their stage managers and Equity
representative. Actors should remain until
at least curtain time, and are encouraged to join the Local One picket-line. Actors are asked to disregard any information
from their producer if advised not to report to work.
What Broadway events have been put on-hold because of the strike?
Sunday November 11: The 10-year anniversary The Lion King performance was canceled, though the party was held.
Wednesday November 14: Opening Night of The Farnsworth Invention has been postponed.
Thursday November 15: Opening Night of The Seafarer has been postponed.
Tuesday November 20: Opening Night of August: Osage County will be postponed. Performances have been extended through March 9, 2008 in hopes of recouping strike losses.
Wednesday November 21: John Lloyd Young will miss his official final performance in Jersey Boys
Friday November 23: First Preview of The Homecoming will be postponed.
Thursday November 29: Opening Night of Is He Dead? will be postponed.
Thursday December 6: Opening Night of The Little Mermaid has been postponed.
What Broadway shows are currently closed?
The following Broadway shows (and respective houses) are closed during the strike: A Bronx Tale (Walter Kerr Theatre); A Chorus Line (Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre); August: Osage County (Imperial Theatre); Avenue Q (Golden Theatre); Chicago (Ambassador Theatre); Curtains (Al Hirschfeld Theatre); Cyrano de Bergerac (Richard Rodgers Theatre); Grease (Brooks Atkinson Theatre); Hairspray (Neil Simon Theatre); Is He Dead? (Lyceum Theatre); Jersey Boys (August Wilson Theatre); Legally Blonde (Palace Theatre); Les Miserables (Broadhurst Theatre); Mamma Mia! (Winter Garden); Rent (New Amsterdam Theatre); Rock 'n' Roll (Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre); Monty Python's Spamalot (Shubert Theatre); Spring Awakening (Eugene O'Neill Theatre); The Color Purple (Broadway Theatre); The Drowsy Chaperone (Marquis Theatre); The Farnsworth Invention (Music Box Theatre); The Lion King (Minskoff Theatre); The Little Mermaid (Lunt-Fontanne Theatre); The Phantom of the Opera (Majestic Theatre); The Seafarer (Booth Theatre); Wicked (Gershwin Theatre).
What Broadway shows are currently open?
The following Broadway shows (and respective houses) are open, not affected by the strike: Cymbeline (Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theatre); Mary Poppins (New Amsterdam Theatre); Pygmalion (American Airlines Theatre); The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Circle in the Square); The Ritz (Studio 54); Xanadu (Helen Hayes Theatre); Young Frankenstein (Hilton Theatre); Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas (St. James Theatre)
For those in need of information on how to collect refunds, click here.
In addition, all Off-Broadway shows are running, as well as
Off-Off-Broadway, Radio City Music Hall, and all variety and concert
venues. For a list of Off-Broadway shows, none of which are affected by the strike, currently running, click here.
Photo by Eugene Lovendusky: Local One union members on-strike outside the Nederlander Theatre
